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EIR No. 2020-03 and GPA No.2020-06 Santa Ana General Plan Update <br />February 15, 2022 <br />Page 11 <br />ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT <br />California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) <br />Draft Programs Environment Impact Report (August 2020) <br />The comprehensive update to the General Plan required extensive environmental review. <br />Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and after completion of the <br />Initial Study for the project, it was determined that CEQA required the preparation and <br />certification of a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for this project. The purpose <br />of a PEIR is to identify and disclose the significant effects on the environment of a project, <br />to identify alternatives to the project, and to indicate the way those significant effects can <br />be mitigated or avoided. To determine what potential effects would be caused by the <br />project, the Draft PEIR analyzes issues related to: Aesthetics; Air Quality; Biological <br />Resources; Cultural Resources; Energy; Geology and Soils; Greenhouse Gas Emissions; <br />Hazard and Hazardous Materials; Hydrology and Water Quality; Land Use and Planning; <br />Mineral Resources; Noise; Population and Housing; Public Services; Recreation; <br />Transportation; Tribal Cultural Resources; and Utilities and Service Systems. The Draft <br />PEIR also studies alternatives to the General Plan Update, as well as direct and indirect <br />impacts resulting from construction and operation of the proposed project. <br />The original Draft PEIR (August 2020) for the General Plan Update (GPU) was prepared <br />and distributed for the required 45-day public review between August 3, 2020, and <br />September 16, 2020. However, due to community request for additional time to review the <br />document, the comment period was extended by an additional 20 days to October 6, 2020. <br />At the public hearing on November 9, 2020, the Planning Commission voted to continue the <br />consideration of the GPU and the certification of the Final PEIR (October 2020) to a future <br />date to allow additional time for outreach to Santa Ana's environmental justice (EJ) <br />communities. <br />Recirculated Draft Program Environmental Impact Report (August 2021) <br />In 2021, the City initiated an expanded outreach program focusing on environmental justice <br />and specific community concerns raised in comments received. Pursuant to Draft PEIR <br />comments, the Planning Commission public hearing, and the expanded community <br />outreach program, the City made the decision to prepare a Recirculated Draft PEIR. The <br />Recirculated document concluded that the recreation -related impacts of the proposed GPU <br />would result in a significant impact and defined a new project alternative to reduce these <br />impacts. It also further discussed and evaluated impacts related to environmental justice, <br />including air quality, hazards, and recreation/open space. <br />Consistent with CEQA Guidelines Section 15088.5, the Recirculated Draft PEIR does not <br />need to include all the topical CEQA sections from the original Draft PEIR. Rather, the <br />Recirculated Draft PEIR (August 2021) updates and supplements only the three topical <br />